Download or read book Crete 1941 written by Jean-Yves Nasse and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Crete's invasion by German paratroopers in 1941 became and remains the role model for all airborne military operations in the twentieth century. Crete was a military centre with major naval strategic importance, and the Allies had expected an Axis seaborne invasion to capture it. Instead, an elite attack force of crack airborne troops, followed by transport aircraft, took the island in hours and the Luftwaffe's dominance of skies ensured that no Allied naval retaliation was possible. This book explains the organisation of the operation and proceeds to document with first hand accounts from actual participants in the invasion force each step of the battle.